If the OCS platform is less well-known than its counterparts, its hood is nevertheless full of pretty programs to catch up during the winter. We have therefore selected six series that are well worth a look.
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Australian satirical comedy, ruthless family saga, swirling immersion in the world of skateboarding… The OCS catalog shines with its diversity and the richness of its content.
The platform always manages to find little nuggets out of nowhere, while offering the big popular series of HBO, Game Of Thrones at Westworld. At the end of the year, it’s time to catch up with six programs released in recent months, some of which have even been selected by the Séries Mania festival in 2021. On your canapés!
A gripping thriller starring Kate Winslet: Mare of Easttown
Almost ten years after his unforgettable role in Mildred Pierce, the fabulous Kate Winslet made her comeback on television this year in a high-flying detective series. In the manner of Broadchurch, Twin Peaks Where Sharp Objects, Mare of Easttown plunges us into a lost little town in the United States. It is in this small community that a teenage girl goes missing and a woman is found lifeless. Kate Winslet (the “Mare” of the title), a policewoman bruised and dented by life, will have to lead the investigation.
Far from being just another series of its kind, this thriller in seven episodes highlights a female character in all her complexity, with her multiple personal issues. The actress appears here unvarnished, but above all credible and authentic. Thanks to the strength of its interpretation, identification with Mare, however sometimes unfriendly, is immediate. Kate Winslet has also obtained a well-deserved Emmy Award for this composition all in nuances.
An Australian Desperate Housewives: The Unusual Suspects
Multi-million dollar necklace theft, businesswomen, housekeepers and dark secrets: yes, this could be the scenario for your next game of Cluedo, we know. But it is above all the decor chosen by The Unusual Suspects, a delightful satirical comedy. Located in the suburbs of Sydney, the series develops a real point on social hierarchies, by staging an alliance between several women from very different backgrounds, to solve this famous theft.
Selected in the International Panorama of Series Mania last August, this Australian creation also addresses the issue of immigration, while emphasizing the power of sorority. The Unusual Suspects happily draws on high-quality references, Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives in the lead, although it still does not measure up to its elders. With just four episodes, the mini-series is short and efficient: ideal for a quick Sunday binge-watching.
A dazzling dive into the world of skateboarding: Betty, season 2
A year after discovering Janay, Honeybear, Kirt, Indigo and Camille (see our review of Betty’s S1), the most badass skaters on the small screen are back for a second season. With Betty, director Crystal Moselle adapts her second feature film, Skate Kitchen, available in 26-minute episodes. In this New York universe, women occupy the space brilliantly and demonstrate that skateboarding is not just a boys’ affair, as it has too often been the case. Betty is a fresh, engaged, inclusive and sweet teen series.
This season, the practice of skateboarding becomes an escape from the pandemic, while romantic relationships are more serious. Unfortunately canceled after only twelve twirling episodes, Betty remains an ode to feminine freedom, leaping and feel-good as you wish, ideal for the end of year celebrations.
A fantastic and feminist saga: The Nevers
A big pinch of Buffy the vampire slayer, a dose of Miss Peregrine and the special children and a hint of X-Men : it’s the explosive cocktail of The Nevers, which features combative female characters in a fantastic vibe. The series is set at the dawn of the 19th century, in London, when the “Touchees” develop supernatural powers. To protect themselves from the outside world, two of them create a home for all these extraordinary people, while facing the forces of evil …
A true feminist manifesto against all forms of discrimination, The Nevers highlights independent and powerful heroines. A statement supported by an elegant and sumptuous staging, which will appeal to all fans of the Victorian era. For the moment, only six episodes of the first season are available, but we can not wait to follow the rest of these incredible magical adventures.
A touching drama in the world of dance: Opera
French series often suffer from a bad reputation: badly written, badly played, not very credible… It is true that our productions rarely reach the ankles of their English-speaking neighbors. But sometimes some programs stand out from the crowd, as is the case with Opera. Awarded by the Séries Mania festival in 2021 for the interpretation of Ariane Labed, this original OCS creation plunges us into the backdrop of the star dancers. The thirty-something Zoe, out of breath, will have to fight to keep her place, while Flora, a young black prodigy, tries to prove herself.
With in particular the excellent Raphaël Personnaz (The SK1 case) as an uncompromising director, Opera benefits from a casting of great accuracy and a chiseled writing. The series thus addresses many current themes, such as the place of minorities in artistic circles or the cult of the body, without voyeurism or Manichaeism. This fascinating drama, already renewed for a second season, finds its balance and thus plays its best performance.
Family settling of scores: Succession, season 3
They are the most torn and heartbreaking family on the small screen: the Roys are coming back to haunt us, for our greatest pleasure. True cult series for three seasons already, Succession revisits King Lear of Shakespeare media version. Connor, Kendall, Roman and Siobhan seek to take control of the business of their wealthy father, Logan, when he decides to withdraw from the company. A totally dysfunctional family, fighting for a successful succession, which must now face the consequences of the earthquake caused by Kendall, at the end of season 2.
The most deceitful dialogues fuse, alliances are made and broken, and cruelty is present in each episode. As noted in our Season 3 review of Succession, series proves once again that it deserves its reputation as a tasty family saga, in which all low blows are permitted. Perfect for preparing for long family meals to come during the holidays.